Pokemon Go gets major 1.1.0 update with gameplay enhancements

Niantic has updated Pokemon Go to version 1.1.0 for iOS. The new update contains improvements and minor bug fixes to enhance Pokemon masters’ experience by delivering customization options and smooth functionality. Trainers will be able to re-customize their avatars, prevent transfers of favorite Pokemon, and more.

The home screen now opens with cautious instructions to not to play while driving or not to trespass and the likes. This feature has been after a number of incidents of people crashing or trespassing other people’s property made the news.

Players will be able to re-customize characters from the profile screen. Tap on the player icon on the left corner of the screen to open player’s profile and then tap on the hamburger icon to customize your avatar.

Footprints of nearby Pokemon have been removed. Functional glitches existed in tracking Pokemon since the release of the game so instead of any fix, Ninatic have removed this feature for now. You can still see nearby Pokemon but without any indication of distance or direction.

Pokemon’s details screen has been changed slightly. Favorite Pokemon can not be transferred anymore. The transfer button has been moved to a hamburger menu at the bottom right of the screen, along with the favorite button, which is also accessible from its old place, the top right of the screen.

On the official Pokemon Go Facebook page, people are applauding the new features and improvements but there are some who are unhappy about the removal of nearby Pokemon footprints. People are arguing that with no in-app tracking features, players are likely wandering in the game to capture Pokemon. Furthermore, with the footprints tracking feature gone for good, other older tracking methods are gone too. The order of Pokemon appearance on the grid do not matter anymore, and the release of compass tracking method to locate close by Pokemon will not see daylight. The scan radius has been reduced from 100 meters to 70 meters, however, the range to capture Pokemon has been increased to up to 300 meters. The removal of the tracking system can be accredited to reducing the strain on servers to prevent the game from crashing and discouraging the players from trespassing.

One may argue that the removal of in-app tracking feature, will increase the use of third-party apps like PokeRadar and PokeVision, to locate creatures to capture in the game. But Niantic has been working on blocking these sites from getting accurate data to display Pokemon locations which renders them useless.

This update augments the rollout of exciting new features announced at Comic-Con Panel in San Diego, California by CEO of Niantic, John Hanke. Hanke revealed the three teams leaders and assured the audience that after getting complete hold of servers issues and other technical problems, the game will be further developed by addition of new functionality. Read our complete coverage here. Nintendo also announced a delay in the delivery of Pokemon Go Plus wearables from July to September.